Chronological Review of Events/July 2014 – DPR review

Division for Palestinian Rights

Chronological Review of Events Relating to the

Question of Palestine

Monthly media monitoring review

July 2014

1

Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man during an operation in the Jenin refugee camp. (Ma’an News Agency)

Several Palestinians were shot and injured with live and rubber-coated bullets and others suffocated with tear gas during an Israeli army crackdown on the village of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron. Israeli forces arrested two Palestinians in Hebron City and another in the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem. (WAFA) 

Four rockets from Gaza landed in open areas north of Sderot. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli warplanes targeted all main cities of the Gaza Strip with dozens of air strikes, causing four critical injuries and excessive property damage. (WAFA)

The European Union said in a statement: “The European Union, Austria, Ireland and Spain are contributing to the Palestinian Authority’s second payment of social allowances this year to poor and vulnerable Palestinian families in the West Bank and Gaza. The contribution, channelled through the PEGASE mechanism, amounts to around €12.97 million.” (http://eeas.europa.eu) 

An Israeli officer hit a Palestinian woman at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound after female worshippers confronted right-wing Jewish groups that entered the compound. Three other women were beaten, one of whom was evacuated to a hospital with a fractured finger. (Ma’an News Agency)

Several hundred right-wing Israeli extremists demonstrated in Jerusalem, attacking Arab passers-by, as the families of the three murdered teenagers were burying their sons in Modi’in. (Haaretz) 

Israel revived a long-lapsed policy of destroying suspected militants’ homes, when the Government ordered the destruction of the properties of Marwan Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Aysha, the two fugitives accused of murdering the three Israeli teens. (The Daily Star) 

The Balad party, an Israeli Arab political party, released a statement blaming “the occupation” as the “source of violence in the OPT." "The Israeli Government, which refuses to end the occupation, is responsible for all acts of violence and bloodshed,” the party said. (The Jerusalem Post)

Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said in a statement: “The Australian Government extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of the three Israeli teenagers senselessly murdered after their kidnapping almost three weeks ago. We condemn all acts of violence, especially where it affects innocent civilians.” (foreignminister.gov.au/releases) 

In a statement issued Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Børge Brende condemned “the killing of the three Israeli teenagers who were abducted … Those responsible must be arrested and brought to justice, and further escalation of the conflict must be avoided.” (regjeringen.no)

Israel’s pressure on the Palestinian Authority could lead to the Authority’s loss of control over the Palestinian street, a senior Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee official said. (The Jerusalem Post)

Qatar’s Minister of Labour Ma’mon Abu Shahla stated that the Qatari Government refused to transfer $20 million dollar, which had been earmarked for the payment of ex-Gaza government employees’ salaries directly to authorities in Gaza. The Qatari Government insisted on transferring the money officially through the Palestinian Unity Government. (Alray) 

In a statement issued by the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Mr. Robert Serry strongly condemned the murder of the three abducted Israeli students. He noted that” the perpetrators must be brought to justice, as any association with or support for terror or violence must be rejected and will have consequences for those concerned. I [am] deeply troubled by statements from Hamas representatives suggesting support for this heinous act.” (unsco.org)

The United Nations Seminar on Assistance to the Palestinian People opened at United Nations Office in Nairobi. The UN Secretary-General’s message to participants of the Seminar was delivered by Ms. Sahle-Work Zewde, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi.

The European Union announced that it will provide nearly €13 million in support of families living in extreme poverty in the West Bank and Gaza. (eeas.europa.eu)

Human rights groups have condemned recent Israeli aggressions against Palestinians, including  increased settler violence, the killing of a Jenin youth, the demolition of homes in Hebron and the extensive bombing campaign in the Gaza Strip. (IMEMC)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu mourned the killings of the three Israeli teenagers and vowed to hold the perpetrators to account. (The Jerusalem Post)

2

Israeli Security forces arrested 42 Palestinians across the West Bank, including 40 alleged members of Hamas. (The Jerusalem Post)

Several Palestinians threw stones toward Israeli police forces at the Temple Mount. Israeli authorities dispersed the rioters and closed the compound to Jewish worshipers. (The Jerusalem Post)

Violent clashes broke out in Jerusalem following reports that a body discovered in a forest on the western outskirts of the city was that of an abducted Palestinian teenager. (The Guardian, The Times of Malta) 

According to Palestinian medical sources, at least 10 Palestinians were injured by Israeli army fire in Ithna town, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron. (IMEMC)

Two rockets fired from Gaza landed in open areas in the Eshkol Regional Council, inside Israel. No injuries or damage were reported. (The Jerusalem Post)

According to an IDF spokesman, the IDF demolished the home of Ziad Awad, a Palestinian that had been arrested earlier in the month on charges of shooting dead an off-duty police officer on Passover eve in April 2014. (The Jerusalem Post)

During a meeting in Ramallah, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah and Mustafa Sarnıç, Consul General of Turkey discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and bilateral relations. (WAFA) 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to condemn the killing of an Arab youth who was found dead in western Jerusalem and “take concrete steps on the ground to stop (revenge) attacks and the chaos caused by the Israeli escalation”. (The Voice of Russia, The Jerusalem Post)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu condemned the “reprehensible” murder of an Arab youth whose body was found in Jerusalem, calling on the investigating authorities to work as quickly as possible to find out who was behind the despicable murder of the youth, and what was the background of the incident. (Ma’an News Agency, Haaretz)

Commenting on the killings of three Israeli teenagers the UK Middle East Minister Hugh Robertson, called on all parties to “avoid action that could escalate the situation further” and told Israel that “all security operations must be handled with due care, restraint and a proportionate use of force.” (The Jerusalem Post)

Stressing that “Hamas had no hand in or information regarding the abduction and murder of the three Israeli settlers, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, asked the Turkish Government to stop any Israeli attack against Gaza. Mashaal noted that Hamas was not interested in escalating the situation and respected the agreement reached after the Israeli offensive ‘Pillar of Defense’. (Alray) 

In a statement the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Mr. Robert Serry, strongly condemned the reported murder of a Palestinian boy in Jerusalem and called on all sides to do everything they could not to further exacerbate an already tense atmosphere. (unsco.org)

Amid the escalation of violence in the OPT, UNRWA Spokesperson Chris Gunness called on all parties to exercise restraint. (unrwa.org)

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced that around 50 per cent of its ambulances had stopped working while the ministry initiated a programme to cope with the acute shortage of fuel in the Strip. (The Middle East Monitor)

The Palestinian Unity Government ordered striking ‘Hamas civil servants’ in Gaza back to work and refused to pay their salaries – sparking a crisis that is threatening the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation deal (The Jerusalem Post, Xinhua net)

Palestinian medical sources reported that more than 212 Palestinians had been injured by Israeli army fire during clashes with Israeli soldiers in different parts of Jerusalem and nearby towns following the abduction and murder of a Palestinian teenager. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Spokesman for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued the following statement: The Secretary-General condemns the murder of a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem and calls for the perpetrators of this despicable act to be promptly brought to justice. He expresses his deepest condolences to the family of the victim. The Secretary-General reiterates his call on all parties to ensure that tensions do not escalate further, leading to more loss of life. (UN News Centre)

Aleast 10 Palestinians were injured by Israeli army fire in Ithna near Hebron following the demolition of the house of Ziad Awwad accused by Israel of killing an Israeli army officer two months ago. (IMEMC)

The Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners Affairs said the Israeli army had arrested 2,478 Palestinians between 1 January and 30 June 2014. (IMEMC)

An Israeli army spokesperson said an IDF aircraft had targeted a launching site in the Gaza Strip used to fire four mortar rockets into southern Israel. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli settlers set fire to an agricultural barrack in the village of Aqraba, south of Nablus. (IMEMC)

Over 60 Israeli settlers damaged Palestinian cars with rocks near the Jerusalem village of Jaba. Also, settlers hurled stones at Palestinian vehicles as they drove near the village of Husan, west of Bethlehem. A number of vehicles were hit and sustained damage. (Ma’an News Agency)

3

Over 15 rockets from Gaza were fired at southern Israel. A soldier was lightly hurt in his leg by shrapnel. Some of the rockets hit structures and caused fires. (Ynetnews)

Eleven Palestinians were injured during Israeli air strikes at 15 targets in the Gaza Strip overnight. (Ma’an News Agency)

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay told journalists in Vienna on the flare-up of violence across the Israel-Gaza border: “From a human rights point of view, I utterly condemn these rocket attacks and more especially I condemn Israel’s excessive acts of retaliation.” (Reuters)

Four Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces in Anata in East Jerusalem. One of them was a young man who was shot and critically injured in the head. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces arrested around 20 Palestinians, including minors, during predawn raids across the West Bank and Jerusalem. (WAFA)

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said over 640 Palestinians had been detained by Israel after the disappearance of three Israeli youths on 12 June, including 59 prisoners released in the 2011 exchange deal for Gilad Shalit. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli bulldozers razed over 50 dunums of private Palestinian land near the “Karmie Zur” settlement, north of Hebron. (WAFA)

In his first interview after leaving his post last week as the US Middle East peace envoy, Martin Indyk told the New York Times that “distrust” and lack of confidence between Israeli and the Palestinian leaders was at the heart of their impasse. Mr. Indyk noted that both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed on the need to make peace and reach a final agreement that has remained elusive for two decades. But as time passed, “the sense of urgency wasn’t there on either side,” (New York Times)

The IMF Mission Chief for the West Bank and Gaza Christoph Duenwald said in a statement that the Palestinian economy was weakening and urged Israel to lift restrictions on the Palestinians. He said the Authority was “doing a commendable job” managing the economy in difficult circumstances, noting that the global donor community needed to step up to help fill a “sizable” financing gap this year. (Haaretz)

4

Israel imposed strict limitations on permits for Palestinians to enter Jerusalem where the funeral of 16-year-old Muhammad Abu Khdeir was to be held in the Shuafat Mosque. Thousands of Palestinians gathered near the family home and clashes broke out when the Israeli police fired tear gas canisters at the funeral march. (Ma’an News Agency)

5

Palestinian Attorney General Abdelghani al-Owaiwi said that he had received from a Palestinian doctor who attended the autopsy in Tel Aviv the initial results. The autopsy showed that 16-year-old Palestinian Muhammad Abu Khdeir suffered burns on 90 per cent of his body. Mr. al-Owaiwi said “the results show he was breathing while on fire and died from burns and their consequences”. He also said the young man had suffered wounds on the right side of his head apparently from impact with a rock or another hard object. (The Associated Press)

6

Nine Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike on al-Bureij refugee camp and elsewhere in the central Gaza Strip. An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed the attack saying the air force “managed to prevent a rocket attack” from the central Gaza Strip. She said that 25 rockets fired from Gaza hit Israel during the day. (Ma’an News Agency)

Palestinians protested in East Jerusalem and in a number of Arab neighbourhoods within Israel. In both the Shuafat and Abu Tur neighbourhoods, hundreds of young Palestinians pelted police forces with stones. In Tel Sheva, a Bedouin town bordering Beersheba, masked protestors threw Molotov cocktails and hurled stones at cars at the entrance of the southern Jewish community of Omer. Damage was caused to several vehicles. Some 15 silent protests also took place in Arab communities across Israel without incident. (Ynetnews.com)

Six rockets launched from the Gaza Strip fell on western Negev in southern Israel, the Israeli military said. “One rocket fell on Eshkol where it caused a fire” while the other five fell on open areas in the Negev, causing no casualties. (KUNA)

Israeli security officials arrested on six far-right Jews for their role in the kidnapping and murder of Arab teen Abu Khdeir. (The Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian Bishop Abud Atallah Issawi was traveling by car back from Bethlehem to the church in the village of Abud in northwest Ramallah when a group of settlers attacked him with stones and steel bars. He managed to speed away, and he eventually took a bypass route to his church. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel’s Justice Ministry said in a statement that they had launched an investigation into the alleged beating of a Palestinian-American teenager by paramilitary policemen. Tariq Khdeir was beaten during clashes in East Jerusalem for being suspected of throwing Molotov cocktails and rocks, injuring an officer and resisting arrest. On the same day, Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court released Tariq from jail on bail and and on the condition not to reside in Shuafat. (Xinhua)

The senior IDF official said that the six Palestinians killed in an explosion in a Gaza tunnel were Hamas members and that “the tunnel was intended for a significant terror attack with specialist infrastructure and an anti-soldier force.” (Ynetnews)

7

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent his condolences to the family of the Palestinian teen who was kidnapped and murdered at the hands of Jewish extremists in response to the murder of the three killed Israeli teens saying ‘There is no place for such murderers in our society”. (Ynetnews.com)

Families of dead Israeli and Palestinian teens have called for the end of the cycle of revenge violence. In the swell of anger and bitter hatred that surrounded the killing and kidnapping of three Israeli teenagers, and a Palestinian boy, the families of the victims pleaded for peace and calm. (The Huffington Post)

An IDF unit carrying out routine operations on the border with southern Gaza was attacked with an RPG and gunfire. The soldiers returned fire into Gaza. No injuries were reported by the IDF. (The Jerusalem Post)

According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Netanyahu phoned Hussein Abu Khdeir to express his shock and horror at the murder of his son, Muhammad Abu Khdeir, by Jewish extremists. “I want to express my shock, and the shock of all Israeli citizens, at the heinous murder of your son”, he said in the call. (The Jerusalem Post)

In an op-ed in the Israeli daily Haaretz, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “One day, in the not too distant future, I hope to see Israel sitting together in the United Nations with Palestine as a full Member State, both working together on the central issues of peace and security, human rights and development in the region and around the world”. (Haaretz)

Three of the 6 Jewish suspects accused of killing a Palestinian teen admitted their criminal actions, Israeli police announced. The suspects are detained at a Shin Bet facility, awaiting trials on multiple charges of terrorism, kidnapping and murder. (Xinhua)

Six people were arrested while others were injured after PA security forces dispersed an anti-Israeli rally in Hebron. (middleeastmonitor.com)

Palestinian medical sources have reported that several Palestinians suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation, near the Bilal Bin Rabah Mosque, north of Bethlehem. Clashes also took place in the Um Rokba area, south of  al-Khadr town, after dozens of soldiers invaded it. (IMEMC)

About 80 rockets were fired out of Gaza, reaching deep into southern Israel. As the airstrikes and rocket fire continued today, the Israeli military said that its targets had included what it called a “terror command center embedded within civilian infrastructure in Rafah. (The New York Times)

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the military to “take off gloves” in the fight against Hamas. “Hamas chose escalation and it will pay a heavy price for it”, he said. (Haaretz)

Two senior Israeli officials said that the Security Cabinet had decided to escalate the attacks against Hamas and other groups in Gaza while refraining from a large-scale military operation for now, but ordered the army to prepare for a significant expansion. The Cabinet called up 40,000 reservists in addition to the 1,500 already called up. (Haaretz, Ynetnews)

“All parties must protect the innocent and act with reasonableness and restraint, not vengeance and retribution,” US President Barak Obama wrote in an Op-Ed published in Haaretz in Hebrew, Arabic and English. Obama called it a “dangerous moment” for the region reflecting growing US concern about tit-for-tat violence spiralling out of control as the fragile situation in Israel appears to deteriorate. (Ynetnews)

The mayors of 14 Jewish and Arab towns in Israel called on Israelis to “maintain calm and normality” amid the violence that erupted since the killing of the four teenagers. (Haaretz)

Hamas is demanding the release of all Palestinian prisoners re-arrested after their release in the Shalit exchange deal before returning to ceasefire, Israeli Walla news website reported. (Ma’an News Agency) 

An Israeli court extended the detention of 10 Palestinians and put another under house arrest, Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said. The detention of two minors was also extended until July

Israeli police closed the Al-Aqsa Mosque to women and young men, according to witnesses, allowing access only to elderly men. The decision resulted in a protest at the main gates. (Ma’an News Agency)

Palestinians in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Shuafat hurled Molotov cocktails at police, Israel Radio reported. No injuries were reported, and no arrests were made. (The Jerusalem Post)

More than 100 human rights activists gathered near New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge to mark the 9^th anniversary of the 9 July 2005 Palestinian call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel. The event, organized by Adalah-NY and endorsed by 16 human rights organizations – was part of the ”We Divest” National Week of Actions, which included events in several US cities, and supported the Stop the Wall Campaign’s ”Month Against the Apartheid Wall”, marking the 10^th anniversary of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on the illegality of Israel’s Wall. (WAFA)

8

Palestinian medical sources have reported that dozens of soldiers invaded late on 7 July and today at dawn, different areas of Hebron, leading to clashes with local residents who suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation. (IMEMC)

The Israeli military struck at least 50 sites in Gaza by air and sea. In a statement, the army said “Operation Protective Edge” was seeking to “retrieve stability to the residents of southern Israel, eliminate Hamas’ capabilities and destroy the terror infrastructure operating against the State of Israel and its civilians”. (www.timesofmalta.com)

A Gaza health official said at least nine Palestinian civilians were wounded by airstrikes in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip. (The New York Times, www.timesofmalta.com)

A Palestinian health official said that seven Palestinians were killed and 25 were wounded in an Israeli airstrike on a house in southern Gaza. (Haaretz)

22 rockets fired from the Gaza Strip have exploded in Israel. The Iron Dome anti-rocket system has intercepted four rockets. (The Jerusalem Post)

Five Gaza militants attempted to infiltrate kibbutz Zikim from the sea. IDF troops exchanged fire with and killed all of them. One soldier was lightly wounded. (Ynetnews)

President Abbas called on Israel to cease and desist from further military attacks in the Gaza Strip. Abbas urged the Israeli Government to “refrain from dragging the region to an escalation that will bring about more destruction and ruin.” (The Jerusalem Post)

In a Haaretz Op-Ed entitled “A Time for Justice not Revenge” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said “more deadlock will only mean more death – for innocent civilians and indeed ultimately for a negotiated two-State solution.” (UNSCO)

Israeli police conducted an extensive arrest campaign in the Jerusalem district, arresting 36 Palestinians. Meanwhile, Israeli forces raided Husan village in the Bethlehem district, where they broke into and ransacked several houses and arrested a 50-year-old Palestinian. (WAFA, ww.petra.gov.jo)

Ismail Haniyeh, deputy chief of Hamas’ Political Bureau, called for a united decision by Palestinian factions to defend and protect the Palestinian people. Haniyeh called on the Arab League and the OIC to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the Israeli aggression. “Hamas adheres to Palestinian unity,” he said, urging Fatah leaders to maintain the reconciliation agreement. (Alray)

Police arrested a Jewish resident of the southeast Jerusalem [settlement] of “Nof Zion” for shooting at a Palestinian-owned vehicle that was driving nearby, Israel Radio reported. No injuries were reported. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli settlers used two bulldozers to raze a six-dunum area of Palestinian land near Bethlehem, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces. (middleeastmonitor.com)

Last week, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Denmark, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Portugal have joined other EU countries in warning companies against trade with Israeli settlements, bringing the total of EU countries to 17. Settlements are illegal under international law, the statements say, and dealing with them carries legal and financial risks. (Palestine News Network)

The EU, through the PEGASE mechanism, contributed €15.5 million to the PA for the payment of June salaries and pensions for almost 70,000 Palestinian civil servants and pensioners in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as reported in a press release by the Office of the EU Representative. (WAFA)

Britain’s largest trade union, Unite, condemned Israeli crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory and joined the BDS campaign against Israel. At the three-day annual meeting held in Liverpool, Unite condemned Israel for committing “apartheid crimes” against the Palestinian people. The union requested its members, estimated to be over 1.5 million, to take bolder steps like those that were taken against the South African apartheid regime. The union announced that it would work with others to develop a campaign and leverage strategy around BDS within the next 12 months, notably against complicit companies involved in the occupation, the apartheid wall and the illegal settlements, such as Veolia, G4S and Sainsbury’s. (WAFA)

At least 12 civilians, including five children, were among the 20 Palestinians killed in Gaza on 8 July, Palestinian officials said. On the Israeli side, at least two people were wounded, medics said. (The Times of Malta)

President Abbas said in a televised address that the Palestinian leadership will go to all international organizations to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza. Abbas warned that the Israeli Government is attempting to “drag things into the circle of violence,” stressing that all the parties he has been in contact with, including Hamas and other Palestinian factions, are against further escalation and are in favour of a truce. (WAFA)

Secretary-General of the Arab League, Nabil Elaraby called for an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council over the “dangerous Israeli escalation” in Gaza, AFP reported. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Badr Abdel Aty, denounced Israel’s raids on Gaza, but the country nevertheless kept its Rafah border crossing closed for the sixth day in a row, the Mada Masr website reported. Iran strongly condemned Israel’s intensified attacks on Gaza, Iran’s Fars News Agency reported. The Turkish Foreign Ministry released a statement  calling for an end to Israel’s military operation in Gaza, calling it “mass punishment,” Today’s Zaman reported. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad condemned “Zionist aggression” and voiced support for the Palestinians in their heroic steadfastness, SANA reported. “The EU strongly condemns the indiscriminate fire into Israel by militant groups in the Gaza Strip. The EU deplores the growing number of civilian casualties, reportedly among them children, caused by Israeli retaliatory fire,” an EU statement said.  “No country can accept rocket fire aimed at civilians and we support Israel’s right to defend itself against these vicious attacks,” a White House spokesman said. “Pakistan condemns Israeli aggression and supports the international community’s efforts in bringing about a cessation of unilateral Israeli strikes killing Palestinians, including women and children,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. (The Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews)

The Spokesperson for the Secretary-General issued the following statement: The Secretary-General condemns the recent multiple rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza. These indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas must stop. The Secretary-General is extremely concerned at the dangerous escalation of violence, which has already resulted in multiple Palestinian deaths and injuries as a result of Israeli operations against Gaza. He reiterates his call on all actors to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further civilian casualties and overall destabilization. It is imperative now to restore calm. The unsustainable situation in Gaza will also need to be addressed in its political, security, humanitarian and development dimensions as part of a comprehensive solution. (www.un.org)

9

Gaza medical authorities report that 53 Palestinians have been killed and at least 450 injured since the start of the bombing campaign. (Ma’an News Agency)

Over 550 targets have been hit in Gaza since the start of the “Operation Protective Edge”, the IDF said. The IAF has dropped approximately 400 tonnes of bombs and missiles on the Gaza Strip, a senior official said today. 169 rockets have been fired into Israel, with the “Iron Dome” intercepting 90 percent of missiles heading to populated areas.  (MEMO, The Jerusalem Post, Xinhua)

Deputy Defence Minister Danny Danon called on the Israeli Government to immediately cut off fuel and electricity supplies to the Gaza Strip. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli airplanes bombed a sewage plant and main drinking water lines west of Gaza City, which provide water to tens of thousands and are regarded as the main water line for the Shati refugee camp. (WAFA)

Hamas claimed responsibility for the 3 rockets fired at Dimona, stating that it had been attempting to hit the nuclear reactor there. 2 rockets landed in open areas while a third was destroyed. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Ahrar Centre for Detainees’ Studies and Human Rights strongly denounced the arrest of 8 Hamas political leaders in the West Bank. (IMEMC)

Three Grad missiles were fired at Israel from the village of al-Arja south of the Egyptian city of Rafah, Egyptian officials said. There were no reports of injuries or damage. (Ma’an News Agency)

Some 11 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, locals said. Witnesses told Ma’an dozens of Palestinians set fire to an Israeli watchtower near the “Beit El” settlement. Earlier, Palestinian youths clashed with Israeli forces in Bethlehem, with witnesses saying three Palestinians being injured by live bullets. (Ma’an News Agency)

Jordan demanded an immediate halt to “barbaric” Israeli air raids in Gaza. (Ynetnews)

President Abbas contacted Egyptian President Sisi and briefed him on Israel’s ongoing operation in Gaza. “Sisi stressed Egypt was interested in the safety of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and sparing this grave assault,” a statement from Abbas’ office said, adding that Cairo would “exert efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire.” (Reuters)

CEIRPP held a special meeting on the 10th anniversary of the ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Wall. Vice-President of the General Assembly, Hussein Haniff, ASG for Political Affairs Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, the Chairman of the Committee, Palestinian Minister for Agriculture, Social and Prisoners’ Affairs Shawki Al-Aissa, a representative from OCHA, former Justice of the ICJ Koroma, and a representative of Human Rights Watch spoke. Statements were made from the floor. The Committee adopted a statement. (Division for Palestinian Rights)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that Israel is waging an all-out war against all Palestinians. “This is not a war against one faction or another, or against Hamas, but against the entire Palestinian people,” Abbas said in a speech he made in Ramallah. (Haaretz)

The Egyptian army said it had successfully destroyed 19 tunnels in the Sinai Peninsula on the border with the Gaza Strip. (middleeastmonitor.com)

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry warned against Israeli Government’s attempts to mislead the international community by claiming that Mohammad Abu Khdeir’s murderers were ‘mentally ill’, taking the first step to acquit them of their crime against the Palestinians. Israel does not want to prosecute, imprison or punish Israeli perpetrators for murdering Palestinians,” said the Ministry. (WAFA)

An Israeli legal centre, Shurat HaDin, has abandoned landmark legal action against a Sydney academic, Jake Lynch, over his support for a boycott of Israel. Lawyers for Lynch said they reached agreement that a racial discrimination lawsuit against the academic should be summarily dismissed for lack of standing. (The Guardian)

Some 200 people demonstrated against “Operation Protective Eagle” in Nazareth. (The Jerusalem Post)

Three of the six Jews suspected of being involved in the kidnapping and murder of the 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir last week are will be released from custody today, the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court ruled. (Haaretz)

It was reported that Israeli drones were firing precision-guided missiles into family living rooms in Gaza. They have killed at least five known militants with the tactic, but they appear to have killed more civilians, including a growing number of women and children. (The Washington Post) 

10

During the meeting of the Security Council, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, stated that the death toll of Palestinian civilians had reached 80, and possibly 90, since an entire family of 8 was killed earlier today. Hundreds have been injured. The Permanent Representative of Israel stated that a total of 442 rockets were fired into Israel in the last few days. (un.org)

A Palestinian in a vehicle with an explosive heading towards Israel was intercepted at a checkpoint by Ministry of Defense security guards on Route 5. A bomb squad was dispatched to the scene to disarm the device. The driver told guards he was on his way to carrying out a terror attack. (The Jerusalem Post)

A Palestinian was shot and injured in clashes with Israeli forces in Al-Walaja to the northwest of Bethlehem, witnesses said. (WAFA)

US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a briefing that US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is in China, had spoken earlier in the day with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and planned to speak with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Kerry has been “encouraging all sides to de-escalate the situation,” restore calm and take steps to protect civilians. (Reuters. The Washington Post)

During the meeting of the Security Council, the Permanent Representative of Israel called for the dissolution of the Palestinian National Consensus Government. (un.org)

During the meeting of the Security Council, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN, stated that President Mahmoud Abbas had officially conveyed to Switzerland, the Depository, a request to convene the High Contracting Parties to consider measures to uphold their obligations, under common article 1 and article 146 regarding penal sanctions for grave breaches, and enforce the Convention in Occupied Palestine, including East Jerusalem. (un.org)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to sign the necessary documents to join international organizations, inter alia, the International Criminal Court. (Haaretz)

Japan, Egypt and Jordan have issued statements condemning the latest series of Israeli assaults on the Palestinian community. (IMEMC) 

The Security Council called an emergency meeting on the escalating Israeli and Palestinian hostilities. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefed the Security Council on the situation. He said “today, we face the risk of an all-out escalation in Israel and Gaza, with the threat of a ground offensive still palpable — and preventable only if Hamas stops rocket firing”. He called on both sides to exercise maximum restraint, show statesmanship and to weigh the risks of further escalation. (un.org)

A statement by the UNRWA Director of Operations, stated that “at the end of the day, civilians in Gaza will suffer. Already 76 Gazans have reportedly been killed, including 10 children and over 500 been injured.” (unrwa.org)

Israeli forces arrested 18 Palestinians from various parts of the West Bank, according to a report by the Palestinian Prisoners Club. The report said that 2 Palestinians were arrested in Bethlehem, 3 in Jenin, 8 in Ramallah and 5 in Tulkarim, adding that the number of Palestinians who have been arrested since the beginning of the latest Israeli campaign exceeded 800. (www.petra.gov.jo)

Despite ongoing rocket fire at Israel from the Gaza Strip, some 200 trucks of goods, including food and basic products passed into Gaza from Israel’s Kerem Shalom crossing, the IDF said. (Ynetnews)

Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip to allow hundreds of Palestinians injured during the ongoing Israeli offensive to receive medical treatment in Egypt. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Israeli Justice Ministry’s police internal investigations department is considering filing criminal charges against one of the police officers who is suspected of severely beating a Palestinian-American teen last week. The officer has been suspended for 15 days. (Haaretz)

Hundreds of Jordanians protesting the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip clashed with security forces during a demonstration outside the Israeli Embassy in Amman, numerous media outlets reported. (The Jerusalem Post)

The leader of the Ennahda Tunisian Movement, Sheikh Rashid Ghannouchi called the free people of the world to show solidarity with the Palestinian people in their resistance to the aggression. He added: “The international situation is a weak one that encourages aggression against the Palestinians. While the international law is clear about not allowing the acquisition of territory by force, clear about holding the occupation responsible for the occupied people, the European, American and Russian positions have not met the minimum demands of international law, morality and conscience. We demand, at least, a full condemnation of the aggression and sanctions against the aggressor.” (middleeastmonitor.com)

It was reported that more than 100,000 Palestinians residing in areas adjacent to the Gaza border received notification from the IDF in a recorded message over the phone that they must evacuate their houses as quickly as possible. Hamas authorities called on the people to “not cooperate with these messages, not leave their homes, and continue their lives.” (Ynetnews, Xinhua)

President Abbas called on Hamas to end its hail of rockets on Israel as Israeli leaders signalled they were preparing to invade the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised address there would be “additional phases” to the military operation and that a “difficult, complex” battle lies ahead. (National Post)

Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum said that the only way this “one-sided war” will end is when Israel stops bombing Gaza. “We have sustained high numbers of casualties – over 100 civilians dead, 150 homes destroyed sometimes with families still inside them, we are the victims. We are defending our civilians from a massacre… There will be no ceasefire until the occupation stops its shelling of Gaza,” he said outside Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. (MEMO)

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman condemned the Israeli military airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and urged an immediate end to the attacks. (WAFA)

Israel will not be able to destroy Hamas as a political movement, Quartet Representative Tony Blair told Ynet in an exclusive interview, saying that desire for such a move must come from the Palestinian people themselves. (Ynetnews)

French President Francois Hollande is concerned by the worsening crisis in Israel and Gaza, his office said, calling for the escalation in violence to end and both sides to guarantee the safety of civilians. (The Daily Star)

King Abdullah II of Jordan discussed in Amman with US Vice-President Joe Biden the latest developments in the Middle East. During the meeting, the King warned against the dangerous Israeli escalation against the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. This escalation, King Abdullah said, would increase the suffering of the Palestinian people and foil attempts to resume peace talks. (Petra)

Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erakat urged the international community to uphold its role in forcing Israel to end its aggression against the Palestinian people, as agreed upon in November 2012’s ceasefire. (IMEMC)

President Barack Obama condemned the rocket attacks and said Israel has the right to self-defence. Obama also urged both sides not to escalate the crisis and to restore calm. (Ynetnews)

The escalating violence in Gaza and Israel threatens devastating harm for children on all sides, UNICEF, urging restraint to protect all children. (unicef.org)

WHO and the Palestinian Ministry of Health called on local and international donors to support the Ministry in coping with the current, difficult situation in the OPT, especially in the Gaza Strip. (www.who.int)

Reporters Without Borders condemned Israeli attacks on information freedom, journalists and the media in the OPT. (MEMO)

The Palestinian community in Spain and pro-Palestinian activists from the United Left, Spanish Solidarity Network against the Occupation of Palestine and the BDS movement participated in rallies in various Spanish cities to protest against the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. (WAFA)

11

The IDF says the recent killing of 8 Gazan family members was in error. According to the military, relatives of Odeh Kaware — Hamas’ Khan Yunis company commander — were warned of the air strike and left the home but returned too soon; the pilot was unable to divert the bomb. (Haaretz)

Two Palestinians were killed in an IAF airstrike on the central Gaza Strip, bringing the total death toll to 100, medics said. Some 670 had been wounded in the offensive so far, according to the Gaza health authorities. (Ynetnews) 

Palestinian medical sources reported that a Palestinian child and a young man have been killed in Rafah and in Gaza city; five family members have been also killed by an Israeli airstrike in Yebna refugee, east of the Rafah district. (IMEMC)

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz said that the IDF was ready for a ground offensive, and was awaiting instructions from the political leadership. (The Jerusalem Post, Ynetnews)

Hamas’s armed wing warned airlines that it intends to target Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport with rockets. (The Times of Malta)

Egyptian Foreign Ministry rejected the irresponsible Israeli escalation in the OPT, which it said comes in the form of excessive and unnecessary use of military force leading to the death of innocent civilians. (The Daily Star)

The US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro told Israeli Army Radio: “No one wants a ground operation, and we want that Hamas would stop sending the missiles and rockets. But in any case, Israel has full American backing.” (The Daily Star)

Turkish President Abdullah Gül warned Israel not to carry out a ground assault on Gaza Strip, calling on the country to stop its air strikes on civilians. Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said Israel’s operation in Gaza was blocking efforts to restore Turkish-Israeli relations. (Hürriyet, The Jerusalem Post) 

Israel may free six Palestinians released in Shalit deal and rearrested during the search for the kidnapped teens in the West Bank. (Haaretz)

Egyptian authorities closed the Rafah crossing with the Gaza Strip, after opening it for one day to allow Palestinians injured in Israel’s attacks to seek treatment. (Ma’an News Agency)

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay expressed alarm at the Israeli military operations resulting in the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, as well as the indiscriminate firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel. She appealed to all sides to abide by their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law. (unog.ch)

Palestinians in the OPT have called for people around the world to mobilise today in an international day of rage. (MEMO)

The European Coordination Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP) urges Catherine Ashton, EU Foreign Affairs High Representative, to intervene with the Israeli authorities to immediately halt the escalating Israeli attack on Gaza. (WAFA)

12

Twenty Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces in al-Issawiya village in East Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency)

According to Palestinian sources, Israeli forces detained seven Palestinian men across the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)

Egyptian authorities opened the Rafah crossing with Gaza to enable injured Palestinians to enter Egypt for medical treatment and to allow holders of Egyptian and foreign passports to leave the coastal enclave. (IMEMC, Ma’an News Agency, The Washington Post)

According to Palestinian medical sources, at least 21 Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza. (Ma’an News Agency)

Twenty-four Palestinians died in an airstrike on Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian sources. (Ma’an News Agency)

Six Palestinians were killed and several others injured in an airstrike in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in northern Gaza city. (Ma’an News Agency)

Five people were injured in an airstrike on the Saftawi neighborhood in Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

Some 2,000 people, allegedly mostly supporters of the main Islamist party, protested in Tunis against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli officials stressed that Israel was not ruling out a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip if it resulted in a significant change in the situation inside Gaza and a restoration of quiet. (The Jerusalem Post)

Kuwait called for an urgent meeting of Arab League Foreign Ministers to discuss “the deteriorating situation” in the Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

Egypt’s security forces seized 20 Grad rockets that were reportedly being smuggled in by Palestinian militants from Gaza through a tunnel in northern Sinai. (Ma’an News Agency)

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said that he will discuss how to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza with US Secretary of State John Kerry and his German and French counterparts during talks in Vienna the following day. (Ma’an News Agency)

Egypt’s army transferred six truckloads of aid to the Rafah crossing so that they could be taken Into Gaza. (Ma’an News Agency)

13

According to witness accounts, Israeli police imposed strict entry restrictions to al-Aqsa Mosque for Palestinian worshipers. (WAFA)

A rocket fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip landed in Ashkelon. One person was reportedly injured in the attack. (The Jerusalem Post)

Border police subdued and arrested a Palestinian who was brandishing a utility knife on the Jerusalem light rail. No one was injured in the attack. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli troops initiated their first ground assault on Gaza when naval commandos raided northern Gaza, reportedly to destroy longer-range rockets, dozens of which have been fired at cities as far away as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. (IMEMC, The Jerusalem Post)

According to the IDF military’s spokesperson, the IDF has carried out a series of targeted strikes in the Gaza Strip, including against buildings used by Hamas rocket launchers. (The Jerusalem Post, The Washington Post)

Three rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed in the Eshkol Regional Council area. No injuries were reported in the attack. (The Jerusalem Post)

A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel landed in the Sdot Negev Regional Council. No injuries or damage were reported in the attack. (The Jerusalem Post)

Rockets were fired at Tel Aviv, Haifa, Rishon Lezion, Nahariya, Hadera, Binyamina, and Zichron Ya’akov. No injuries or damage were reported in the attack. (The Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian officials announced that the Palestinian death toll had reached at least 167. (IMEMC, ynetnews)

US Secretary of State John Kerry phoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to renew a US offer to help mediate a truce as Israel stepped up its military campaign against the Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Palestinian Minister of Religious Affairs Yousef Id’ais called on the international community and the Muslim world to act to protect the Palestinian people and the holy sites in light of the Israeli aggression against Palestinians. (WAFA).

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi warned that an escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza would cost more “innocent lives.” (Ma’an News Agency)

Speaking to pilgrims and tourists at St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis called on local and international authorities “not to spare any effort to stop every hostility and to follow the path of peace, which is so desired for the good of all.” (Reuters, The Jerusalem Post)

PLO Executive Committee member, Hanan Ashrawi said: “following the meetings of the Palestinian leadership, particularly the Political Committee and the PLO Executive Committee, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is undertaking several steps and measures to deal with the horrific situation in Gaza.” (WAFA)

In a statement issued the Palestinian Authority said that “President Abbas will present a letter to the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, addressed to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, to officially put the State of Palestine under the UN international protection system and to form a legal committee for immediate follow-up”. (AFP)

Palestinian hackers, allegedly affiliated to Hamas, penetrated a Facebook page of Domino’s Pizza and published a warning to Israelis in English, Arabic and Hebrew, stating they “will strike the depths of Israel, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem, Ashkelon, Ashdod with more than 2,000 rockets.” (Ma’an News Agency)

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said that securing a ceasefire between the Gaza Strip and Israel and preventing an escalation of the latest outbreak of hostilities in the region was a top priority for France. (The Jerusalem Post)

German media reported that German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier would travel to the Middle East the following day to meet Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in order to discuss the ongoing hostilities between Hamas and Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)

President Shimon Peres charged that “there can be no compromise with terror” as rockets continued to be fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip. (The Jerusalem Post)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said at the opening of a cabinet meeting that ”Operation Protective Edge“, now in its sixth day, could “take time,” and Israel was prepared to continue the campaign. (The Jerusalem Post, Haaretz)

The Israeli security cabinet decided to continue to mobilize troops while persisting in carrying out aerial attacks on Gaza. (Ynetnews)

Thousands of Palestinians sought refuge at United Nations Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) schools, after Israeli forces ordered them to evacuate their homes in the northern Gaza Strip as a prelude to bomb the area. (IMEMC, The Washington Post, WAFA)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced alarm that, despite the Security Council’s clear demand for a ceasefire, the situation in and around the Gaza Strip appeared to be worsening, with grave implications for the safety of both Israeli and Palestinian civilians. (un.org)

Thousands of protesters from Australia to India rallied to voice their support for Palestinians. (Ma’an News Agency)

Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with French police when they sought to force their way into a Paris synagogue with bats and chairs. (Haaretz)

A Norwegian doctor working at Shifa hospital, in Gaza City, told reporters that some of the injuries sustained by Palestinians were consistent with the use of banned weapons by Israeli forces.(IMEMC)

14

A rocket exploded in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council area. No injuries or damage were caused by the attack. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israeli soldiers stormed various Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank and reportedly arrested eleven legislators and several other Palestinians. (IMEMC)

Six rockets were fired on Ashdod. One of the rockets landed in the yard of a house lightly injuring an eight-year-old boy. (The Jerusalem Post)

According to media sources, one Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes that broke out in the village of Samu, south of Hebron. (IMEMC, The Jerusalem Post)

The IDF carried out an operation in Hebron, raiding at least one house. (The Jerusalem Post)

According to Palestinian medical sources two Palestinians were shot and injured by Israeli military fire at the main entrance of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron. (IMEMC)

Assuming responsibility for sending a drone into Israel that was shot down by the IDF over the Ashdod area, Hamas’s Kassam Brigades issued a statement stating that they had the capability to manufacture three types of drones: those that could carry out reconnaissance missions, bombing missions and suicide missions. (Ma’an News Agency, The Jerusalem Post)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu phoned Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to explain the goals of Operation Protective Edge. (The Jerusalem Post)

Several Palestinian civil society groups called for an independent investigation into the Israeli bombing of the al-Mabarra Center for the Disabled in Jabalia which killed two residents and wounded four. (IMEMC)

Israeli airstrikes killed five Palestinians in Gaza overnight, with at least 192 killed and 1,400 injured as Israel’s operations enter its eighth day. (Ma’an News Agency)

At least seven Palestinians were shot and injured in clashes with Israeli forces overnight in Hebron and Bethlehem as demonstrations took place against Israel’s assault on Gaza. (Ma’an News Agency)

Egypt put forward a proposal for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, to take effect within hours to end airstrikes and rocket fire. Cairo will be holding talks with Israel and all Palestinian factions to put an end to assaults. (DPA)

15

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip said that they had been receiving text messages and pre-recorded phone calls from the IDF that blame Hamas for the possible renewal of Israeli strikes following Hamas’s rejection of the ceasefire. (The Jerusalem Post)

The IAF carried out at least four airstrikes against Gaza, resuming raids after a truce proposal failed to go through. One air strike was reported in the east of Gaza City and a second in the centre of the City. Strikes were also reported in al-Nuseirat in central Gaza as well as in the Khan Yunis area in the south. There were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries.. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel accepted an Egyptian proposal to end the use of force in the Gaza Strip despite a Hamas decision to reject the truce. The decision by Israel’s security Cabinet was announced just minutes before the ceasefire was due to start at 0600 GMT. Despite this development, three rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel with no immediate reports of an Israeli military response. A senior Israeli official said while the cease-fire offer was accepted, “Israel will respond forcefully” if Hamas continued to fire rockets at Israel after the ceasefire. (Haaretz)

The Izz ad-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas rejected the reported text of an Egyptian ceasefire proposal, saying it was “a surrender” to Israel. The group said it had not officially received the exact text of the ceasefire treaty. (Haaretz)

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said: “Nobody has consulted us about this Egyptian ceasefire initiative, and so it is natural that the initiative isn’t binding to us.” He condemned international and regional support for the ceasefire initiative, explaining that if one of the sides involved in the conflict was not consulted it was “worthless.” (The Jerusalem Post)

A Cairo based Hamas leader, Mousa Abu Marzouk, said in a message posted on Twitter that Hamas was still “consulting” and had “not issued an official position on the Egyptian initiative.” (NYT)

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon ordered a restart of the attacks on the Gaza Strip after Hamas rockets were fired at Israel. IAF aircraft began striking targets following the decision six hours after Israel held its fire as a response to the Egyptian cease-fire proposal. (The Jerusalem Post)

US Secretary of State John Kerry condemned Hamas militants for firing rockets from the Gaza Strip, after Israel had accepted a truce proposed by Egypt. Mr. Kerry told a conference in Vienna, that the international community strongly supported the need for a ceasefire, adding, “We urge all parties to support this ceasefire.” (Ynetnews.com)

Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said that President Mahmoud Abbas would head to Egypt on 16 July to meet with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to discuss the ceasefire proposal. Mr. Abbas is also scheduled to visit Turkey on 18 July to discuss the issue.  (WAFA)

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told Egyptian President Abel Fattah al-Sisi in a phone call that his country was the most credible party capable of persuading both sides to stand down, an official Egyptian statement said. (Reuters)

Israel has found funding for three new Iron Dome rocket interception batteries, an Israeli official said. (Reuters)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fired Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon over the latter’s publicly declared opposition to cabinet’s decision to accept a ceasefire with Hamas. “At a time when Israel and the IDF are in the middle of a military campaign, it is unacceptable for the deputy minister of defense to attack the national leadership,” Netanyahu said in announcing the dismissal. (Haaretz)

Israeli Prime Minister vowed to intensify the military operation in the Gaza Strip, as IDF resumed airstrikes in retaliation to rocket fire from the Palestinian side, following Hamas’ armed wing rejection of the ceasefire plan proposed by Egypt. Hamas spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri, said that the group was not consulted by Egypt about ceasefire arrangements and only heard of the initiative through media outlets. (Ma’an News Agency, RT)

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stepped up his rhetoric against Israel over its deadly air offensive on the Gaza Strip, accusing Israel of committing “state terrorism” against the Palestinians. Presenting himself as the sole world leader speaking up for the Palestinians, Erdogan said that any normalization in the troubled ties between Israel and Ankara was currently out of the question. (AFP)

Palestinian Health Minister Jawad Awad canceled a trip to Gaza City’s Shifa hospital after being confronted by angry protesters as he arrived from Egypt, officials said. (The Daily Star)

Within days, the entire population of the Gaza Strip may be desperately short of water said Jacques de Maio, head of the ICRC delegation in Israel and the occupied territories, in a press releases. Both water and electricity supplies have been affected by the current round of hostilities. (Haaretz)

Clashes and fistfights broke out inside the al-Aqsa Mosque compound between Palestinian worshippers and Israeli police officers who escorted the right-wing deputy Knesset speaker Moshe Feiglin (Likud) into the compound.

UNRWA described the damage wrought by Israel’s air offensive on Gaza as “immense,” with more than 500 homes razed and a looming water crisis. “A good number of those killed and injured are women and children. That is a cause of concern for UNRWA,” the Agency’s spokesman Sami Mshasha told reporters, adding that the network for water and sewage was barely functioning. (Reuters) 

16

The renewed Israeli strikes killed two Gazans, raising the Palestinian death toll in eight days of violence to 194, including 149 civilians. A civilian Israeli living in the “Beit Aryeh” settlement was killed in a rocket attack on an Israeli position near the Erez crossing with the Gaza Strip, the IDF said. Hamas’s Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades armed wing said it carried out the attack. (AFP, The Voice of Russia, ochaopt.org)

At least four rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome over the greater Tel Aviv area in a barrage of projectiles launched from the Gaza Strip. (The Jerusalem Post)

The IAF warned some 100,000 Palestinians in the north-eastern Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes, warning a series of military strikes was imminent, the military said. (AFP) 

The Governments of Japan and the UAE separately expressed their full support to the Egypt-brokered imitative for a ceasefire in Gaza. (Ma.an News Agency) 

Ziad Nakhaleh, the deputy secretary-general of the Islamic Jihad, says he is working with Egypt to reformulate the conditions for a ceasefire with Israel. He says the earlier draft for a truce was rejected because it equated “the executioner and the victim.” (The Times of Israel)

Even though the Security Cabinet has yet to officially discuss an initiative to offer US$50 billion in economic aid to the Gaza Strip in return for the demilitarization of the costal territory, Lebanese media claimed last Sunday that Israel had already presented the offer to the international community. (Ynetnews)

Hamas allowed a group of 25 Palestinians, including those seeking medical treatment, to cross from Gaza into Israel after closing the border crossing earlier on 15 July. However it declined to let anyone else leave Gaza or enter from Israel, a Palestinian official in charge of coordinating movement at the Erez crossing told AFP. (AFP)

Six life-term Palestinian prisoners who were freed in the Shalit prisoner exchange deal (2011) and were re-arrested after the kidnapping of the three teenagers, will return to prison to serve their full sentence. (Israeli Radio News)

German footballer and World Cup Champion Mesut Ozil reportedly said he was donating his World Cup earnings to the children of Gaza, approximately US$ 600,000. (MEMO)

14 Palestinians were injured during clashes with Israeli soldiers at the Qalandia checkpoint in the West Bank. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Israeli military arrested 12 Palestinians in Hebron. A youth was shot and injured with a live bullet during one of several clashes with Israeli forces in Hebron. Also, two families were given notifications of demolition of their homes for alleged involvement in the killing of the three Israeli settlers. (IMEMC)

Israeli air and naval artillery strikes on the Gaza Strip killed 24 Palestinians, most of whom were civilians, including four boys between the ages of nine and 11 killed by artillery shells fired on a Gaza City beach from an Israeli naval ship while they were playing football. (IMEMC, Reuters) 

Human Rights Watch said Israeli air attacks in Gaza it investigated had been targeting apparent civilian structures and killing civilians in violation of the laws of war. “Israel’s rhetoric is all about precision attacks but attacks with no military target and many civilian deaths can hardly be considered precise,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. (www.hrw.org)

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process confirmed that the Israeli Government had agreed to a five-hour humanitarian pause to begin next day at 10:00 a.m. local time. (UN News Centre)

The Economic and Social Council adopted a resolution, by a recorded vote of 44 in favour to 2 against (Canada, United States), with 2 abstentions (Republic of Congo, Panama), calling on Israel to cease its destruction of homes and properties, economic institutions and agricultural lands and orchards in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as in the occupied Syrian Golan, and to prevent Israeli settlers from perpetrating such illegal activities. Further, the Council called for the full opening of the border crossings of the Gaza Strip to ensure humanitarian access, as well as the sustained and regular flow of persons and goods and for the lifting of all movement restrictions imposed on the Palestinian people. (www.un.org)

17

Palestinian officials said an Israeli air strike targeting people outside a mosque had shattered windows in the nearby Wafa Rehabilitation Centre for the disabled and elderly. Four staff members were hurt and power went off in the building after the attack. (AP)

Israel killed eight Palestinians in Gaza overnight before the five-hour humanitarian truce came into effect. (Ma’an News Agency)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the humanitarian pause in Gaza brokered by UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry, which allowed the World Food Programme and partners to provide aid to thousands of people. (UN News Centre)

UNRWA condemned the group responsible for placing 20 rockets it found in a vacant school in the course of the regular inspection of its premises. (www.unrwa.org)

Seven Palestinians, including three children from the same family, were killed and seven injured in renewed Israeli air strikes on Gaza after the humanitarian ceasefire, bringing the Palestinian death toll to 237 and the number of injuries to 1,770. Over 100 rockets were fired at Israel after the humanitarian pause, of which 83 fell in Israel and 20 were intercepted. No one was hurt in the attacks. (Ma’an News Agency, Ynetnews)

Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg told a British radio station: “I really do think now the Israeli response appears to be deliberately disproportionate, it is amounting now to a disproportionate form of collective punishment.” (Reuters)

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon ordered the IDF to launch a ground incursion in the Gaza Strip. (Haaretz) 

The Israeli police spokesman said a total of 36 Palestinians had been detained across East Jerusalem overnight during operations against Palestinians who had thrown petrol bombs and stones at officers. Also, Israeli forces raided the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and assaulted worshippers while providing security to a group of Israeli settlers who had entered the compound. (Ma’an News Agency)

UNRWA issued a Gaza Flash Appeal urgently seeking US$60 million to respond to the immediate shelter, food, health and psycho-social needs of affected families. (www.unrwa.org)

According to medics, 38 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by airstrikes and artillery fire since Israel launched a ground operation. Two Palestinians were also killed today in separate strikes in Rafah and one in Beit Lahiya. (Ma’an News Agency)

US State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said Daily Press Briefing that US Secretary John Kerry has not just supported the ceasefire track, he has also encouraged others in full coordination with Egypt. Mr. Kerry had been in touch daily with Israel, with Egypt and with a range of countries in the region. (www.state.gov)

In a statement, the State Department said that during a phone call with Secretary of State John Kerry, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “explained his decision to launch an operation to target the threat of further terrorist infiltration through tunnels into Israel.” Mr. Kerry reaffirmed the US support for Israel’s right to defend itself emphasizing that the operation should be precise targeting tunnels. Mr. Kerry also emphasized the need to “avoid further escalation and to restore the 2012 cease-fire as soon as possible.” (Reuters)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a press release that he was alarmed at the serious escalation in Gaza, including resumed rocket fire into Israel and the subsequent launch of an Israeli ground operation into Gaza. (SG/SM/16037)

Israel’s Security Cabinet members said that the IDF may need to re-conquer all or part of the Gaza Strip to ensure Hamas does not continue to attack Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)

18

According to medics, 38 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by airstrikes and artillery fire since Israel launched a ground operation late on 17 July. Two Palestinians were also killed today in separate strikes in Rafah and one in Beit Lahiya. (Ma’an News Agency)

The Israeli Army confirmed that the first Israeli soldier was killed during the ground fighting in the northern Gaza Strip. (DPA)

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the land offensive came when Hamas continued to fire at Israel when Israel had agreed to an Egyptian proposal for a ceasefire and to the 17 July’s five-hour UN humanitarian ceasefire. (BBC)

Gaza militants have fired over 40 rockets at southern Israel since Israel’s ground operation began late on 17 July. Israel’s Army said twenty rockets were intercepted while 25 landed in Israel. The military wing of Hanmas, the Izz ad- Dine al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for firing 10 grad missiles at Ashdod today and two M75 rockets at Dimona. They also targeted Israeli military vehicles in Beit Lahiya with 10 mortar shells. Islamic Jihad claimed it’s military wing had fired four grad missiles at Ashdod and 16 mortar shells in eastern Khan Yunis, adding that one of their fighters was killed in southern Gaza. Another three “107” missiles were fired at the Israeli town of Kisufim. (Ma’an News Agency)

Only a day after penetrating hundreds of meters into northern Gaza, Israeli tanks withdrew from Beit Lahiya after intense clashes with Hamas. Hamas’ military wing has claimed responsibility for hitting multiple Israeli military vehicles in the area, confirming direct hits with mortar shells and 107 rockets. They also claimed responsibility for targeting an Israeli tank in Beit Hanoun near Bayaret Abu Rahma with P29 shells, and confirmed a direct hit. (Ma’an News Agency)

Egypt’s Foreign Ministry denounced Israel’s “escalation” in Gaza after the start of a ground offensive the day before, demanding both sides to accept a Cairo proposed truce. (AFP)

In Qatar, Hamas Political Bureau Chief Khalid Mashaal said that Israel’s ground operation in Gaza was destined to fail. (AFP)

The Vatican said that Pope Francis telephoned President Shimon Peres and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to express his “very grave concerns” over the conflict in Gaza, calling on all sides to end hostilities and for peace and reconciliation. (Ynetnews.com)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel backed Israel by saying the “new quality” of Hamas’ rockets gives it the right to defend itself. “Both sides must accept painful compromises but we stand by the side of Israel when it comes to self-defense”. (Ynetnews.com) 

A Kremlin statement issued after the meeting between Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Iranian leader Hassan Rouhani said, “Both sides stressed the need for a speedy end to the armed conflict and the resumption of direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations”. (Ynetnews.com)

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters, “Israel threatens world peace. Israel threatens peace in the Middle East. Therefore, I personally, can never contemplate anything positive with Israel as long as I remain on duty,” adding, “Israel is at the moment waging terrorism; Israel at the moment is carrying out genocide”. (Ynetnews.com)

Israel said it was reducing its diplomatic presence in Turkey after protesters pelted its consulate in Istanbul with stones and draped Palestinian flags on the Ambassador’s residence in Ankara. The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan of “incitement”, saying it was ordering the return of diplomats’ families and trimming staffing to a minimum. (Reuters)

UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East said that more than 30,000 people had fled their homes to take shelter in 34 UNRWA schools located across the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the land hostilities by Israel on 17 July.  (Ma’an News Agency)

19

Israel’s Government Press Office warned foreign journalists it was not responsible for their safety in the Gaza Strip. (Reuters)

It was reported that Israeli, Palestinian and American officials noted that a critical mass of international and Arab support was forming around, considering the Egyptian ceasefire initiative as the only viable one. (Haaretz)

Venezuela’s Government condemned Israeli strikes in Gaza as “a policy of genocide” that could not be justified as like-for-like warfare. (Reuters)

Egyptian soldiers in north Sinai prevented an aid convoy of activists from reaching the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip. (AFP) 

Tens of thousands of people took part in a pro-Palestinian rally in London against the bombings of Gaza and the blockade. The event was organized by several NGOs including the Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Stop the War. (Libération)

20

Fighting in Gaza led to the bloodiest losses in a nearly two-week military offensive, with some 100 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers killed. In the Shejaia district, east of Gaza City, some 72 Palestinians, many of them civilians, were killed on the same day. (Al Jazeera America, Reuters)

Israeli Channel Two retracted claims made a day before that an UNRWA ambulance was used to transport militants. (Ma’an News Agency)

President Barack Obama called for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza, on the bloodiest day of fighting between Israelis and Palestinians, and dispatched Secretary of State John Kerry for talks with regional leaders. (AFP) 

President Mahmoud Abbas stated that “the situation is intolerable,” in a televised speech from the Qatari capital, Doha. “What the occupation forces did today in Shejaia is a crime against humanity,” he said. “Those who committed it will not go unpunished.” (RT)

The head of the Arab League, Nabil el-Araby, described the Israeli attacks on the Shejaia district as a “war crime”. (Reuters) 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel won “international legitimacy” for its ongoing military assault on Gaza. Israel’s right to self-defense in the face of militant rocket fire from Gaza has “very strong” international support, he added. (Al Arabiya News)

Global Gaza solidarity protests took place between 18 and 20 July in condemnation of Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip. (Al Jazeera) 

The UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire and respect of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians. The Council also emphasized the need to improve the humanitarian situation, including through humanitarian pauses. (un.org)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is in the Middle East as part of a visit which aims to express solidarity with Israelis and Palestinians and help bring about a ceasefire. He met with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Doha. (un.org)

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More than 10 militants from Gaza were shot dead after infiltrating southern Israel, the army’s official spokesman said. (AFP)

A rocket exploded close to Israeli Minister Tzipi Livni in Sha’ar HaNegev, Yedioth Ahronot reported. (The Daily Star)

Israeli tank shells struck the Al-Aqsa hospital in the Gaza town of Deir el-Balah, killing four people and wounding 60, Palestinian officials said. (AP)

Since the beginning of Israel’s “Operation Protecting Edge” which started on 8 July, 539 Palestinians were killed and more than 3,245 injured, mostly civilians, according to local and medical sources. (WAFA)

The IDF operation in the Gaza Strip is progressing according to plan, and the army’s achievements “are better than expected,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s comments came during security deliberations with Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gatnz, and OC Southern Command Maj.-Gen. Sami Turgeman at an IDF base in the south of Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)

Israel’s policy is not to re-occupy the Gaza Strip, and is focused on neutralizing the threats from the region, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni said. At the same, “if Hamas does not stop targeting Israel, we will consider all options – all options are on the table,” she added. (The Jerusalem Post)

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed to support “the resistance in Gaza in any way necessary” in its fight against the IDF. Nasrallah made the statements in a phone call with Hamas chief Khaled Mashal and the leader of Islamic Jihad Ramadan Salah. ( The Jerusalem Post)

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman urged Israelis to boycott the businesses of Arab citizens who are taking part in a general strike in protest of the IDF operation in the Gaza Strip and the deaths of Palestinian civilians. (Haaretz)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Secretary of State John Kerry are heading to Cairo to push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. (AP, AFP, The Times of Israel)

“Instead of learning from previous experiences, some countries gave green light to Israeli forces to bombard and invade the Gaza Strip,” said a statement by PLO’s Negotiation Affairs Department. “The international community has the legal and moral responsibility to protect the Palestinian population living under Israeli occupation and to hold Israel accountable regarding its severe violations of the international humanitarian law,” the statement said. (WAFA)

They are more than 50,000 civilians sheltered in UNRWA’s Gaza facilities. UNRWA is now warning that its funds and supplies are running critically low. From 20 July, it says, it will no longer be able to provide enough mattresses for the flow of refugees, and has launched an urgent appeal for USD60 million. “The number of those fleeing continues to rise inexorably and has more than doubled in the last 36 hours,” said UNRWA’s spokesperson Chris Gunness. (The Daily Times) 

An Israeli shot dead a 21-year-old Palestinian from Al-Ram, north of Jerusalem, who had been throwing stones at his car. (Ma’an News Agency)

13 Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces in Al-Ram, north of Jerusalem. (Ma’an News Agency)

During a press encounter with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Hassan Shokry Selim in Cairo, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all parties to rally around collective international efforts to obtain an end to two weeks of bloodshed in Gaza and Israel and reach a ceasefire. (UN News Centre)

The Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People issued a statement strongly condemning the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. (UN News Centre)

Amnesty International said, “The continuing bombardment of civilian homes in several areas of the Gaza Strip, as well as the Israeli shelling of a hospital, add to the list of possible war crimes that demand an urgent independent international investigation.” (www.amnesty.org)

22

At least 50 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli assault in Gaza, bringing the death toll to over 600. (Ma’an News Agency)

A Hamas official said Israel had destroyed or severely damaged over 50 mosques since the start of its offensive on Gaza. (Ma’an News Agency)

A rocket fired from Gaza landed near the Ben-Gurion Airport, wounding one Israeli and prompting all US and some European and Canadian airlines to cancel flights to Tel Aviv. (AP)

Human Rights Watch said it had investigated eight Israeli air strikes that were apparent violations of the laws of war. The findings and reports of numerous new civilian casualties heightened concerns for the safety of civilians during the ground offensive, it said. (www.hrw.org)

Israeli forces shot and injured 25 Palestinians with live ammunition during protests in Hebron in solidarity with people in Gaza. (WAFA)

Israeli forces arrested 16 Palestinians in the West Bank overnight. (Ma’an News Agency)

At the start of a meeting with US Secretary of State Kerry in Cairo, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Hassan Shokry Selim said he planned to work with US and other world leaders “to not only resolve this issue but also to set in motion once again the peace process.” (AP)

During a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “My message to Israelis and Palestinians is the same: Stop fighting. Start talking. And take on the root causes of the conflict, so we are not back to the same situation in another six months or a year. We must address these underlying issues – including mutual recognition, occupation, despair and the denial of dignity – so people do not feel they have to resort to violence as a means of expressing their grievances. Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “The international community must take a clear stance, it must hold Hamas accountable for consistently rejecting these ceasefire proposals and for starting and prolonging this conflict.” The Secretary-General later briefed the Security Council from Ramallah by video conference on the situation in Gaza. (AFP, www.un.org)

The Ecuadorian Ambassador has been recalled from Israel, citing the ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza. (IMEMC)

The Israeli army and police said that they have seized weapons on board a boat which sailed from Jordan to Israel via the Dead Sea. (Ma’an News Agency)

The United States issued a travel warning to Israel and Gaza. The U.S. State Department urged Americans to postpone any visits amid the current conflict. (Arutz Sheva)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to help restore U.S. commercial flights to Israel that had been cancelled over the Gaza fighting, an Israeli official said. (Reuters)

The Israeli army confirmed that a soldier who Hamas militants claimed they had kidnapped is dead and his body remains unaccounted for. (France 24)

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani arrived in Jeddah to meet Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah. The primary purpose of the emir’s visit is to find a way to reach a ceasefire agreement (Al Arabiya) 

Egypt’s foreign minister raised the possibility of restarting stalled peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians as part of negotiating a cease-fire in the war that has broken out on Gaza Strip. (The Daily Mail)

In his efforts to help broker a cease-fire in Gaza, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers, telling a news conference in Ramallah that the “Israeli military operation in Gaza must end.” (The Wall Street Journal)

A United Nations school sheltering displaced Palestinians in central Gaza came under Israeli fire on Tuesday as a team was inspecting damage from a day earlier, a UN official said. (The Daily Star)

Germany and France’s largest airlines Lufthansa and Air France said they were suspending all flights to Tel Aviv over safety concerns amid the increasing violence. (AP)

During his opening speech addressing a PLO members emergency meeting President Mahmoud Abbas stated that Palestinians “would never forget nor forgive” and would “never kneel except for God”, adding that nobody will enjoy stability as long as Gaza children do not. (WAFA)

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The Israeli Ministry of Transportation offered to open an airport in the southern Israeli city of Eliat to international flights after a slew of international carriers pulled flights to Tel Aviv out of safety concerns, Israeli media said. (Ma’an News Agency)

Islamic Jihad’s military wing said that its fighters had killed three Israeli soldiers in the southern Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces pounded Gaza, meeting stiff resistance from Hamas Islamists and sending thousands of residents fleeing, as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on a visit to Israel that ceasefire talks had made some progress. (Reuters)

US Secretary of State John Kerry urged Hamas to pursue a negotiated end to its conflict with Israel after what he said were constructive talks with Egyptian officials about their ceasefire proposal. (Reuters) 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has backed calls by Hamas for an end to the economic blockade of the Gaza Strip as a condition for ceasefire. (BBC)

Saudi Arabia has criticized Israel’s “shameful war crimes” in the Gaza Strip, saying the international community should not be “fooled” by Israel’s claims of self-defense against Palestinians rocket attacks. Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Nations Abdullah al-Muallami said. (Al Arabiya) 

Palestinian medical sources said that 70 Palestinians have been killed on Tuesday in a series of Israel airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, bringing the death toll to 631 since Israel started its offensive on July 8^th, health minister spokesman Ashraf al-Qedra said. (Xinhua) 

The United Nations’ top human rights official, Navi Pillay, said that there was a “strong possibility” that Israel and Hamas have committed war crimes with indiscriminate attacks on civilians during more than two weeks fighting with militants in Gaza. (The New York Times)  

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki- Moon met with Israeli and American officials in Jerusalem and called for an immediate ceasefire as the war enters its 16^th day. (UN News Center)

37 Palestinians were killed by Israeli shelling and airstrikes across the Gaza Strip, bringing the Palestinian death toll on the 17^th day of the offensive to 734, with more than 4,000 injured. 73 Palestinians were killed according to a Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson. (Ma’an News Agency) 

A young Palestinian man from Husan west of Bethlehem died of wounds sustained during clashes with Israeli forces in his village, a Ma’an reporter said. (Ma’an News Agency) 

A senior Hamas official said there had been progress in negotiations to end the hostilities in the Gaza Strip but the militants needed detailed guarantees that Israel would ease its blockade of the enclave. (AFP)

President Mahmoud Abbas handed US Secretary of State John Kerry a ceasefire initiative to present to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting, a Palestinian official said. (Xinhua) 

The UN Human Rights Council launched a probe into Israel’s Gaza offensive, backing efforts by the Palestinians to hold Israel up to international scrutiny. The 46-member Council backed a Palestinian-drafted resolution by 29 votes, with Arab and fellow Muslim countries joined by China, Russia and Latin American and some African nations. The USA was the sole member to vote against, while European countries abstained. (AFP)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was “alarmed” to hear that rockets were placed in a UN-run school in Gaza and that “subsequently these have gone missing.” A statement by the spokesman for Ban Ki-moon expresses the UN chief’s “outrage” at the incident. (AP)

24

The US Federal Aviation Administration lifted its ban on American flights to and from Israel, after receiving security assurances from Israel’s civil aviation authority. (Haaretz)

Israeli tank shells hit a compound housing an UNRWA school in the northern Gaza Strip, where Palestinians were seeking shelter from fierce clashes on the streets outside. OCHA has confirmed word of multiple civilian casualties (unconfirmed media reports refer to between 12 and 15 and as many as 200 injured) resulting from an artillery strike. (The Guardian, UNOCC) 

An Israeli cabinet minister said that a pull-out of troops from Gaza was not imminent and that Israel’s army would continue hunting Palestinian cross-border tunnels under any humanitarian truce. “I do not see a ceasefire in the coming days where the IDF leaves,” said Science Minister Yaakov Peri, a former security chief. (Reuters)

Thailand urged Israel to relocate 4,000 Thai nationals working near the Gaza strip after one of its citizens was killed. (AFP)

Brazil decided to recall its Ambassador in Tel Aviv to protest what it has called “disproportionate use of force by Israel” in the Gaza Strip. (Haaretz) 

Dov Lior, the rabbi of the settlement of “Kiryat Arba” near Hebron, has issued a religious ruling permitting the total destruction of Gaza if Israel’s military leaders deem it necessary. (Haaretz)

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond warned Israel that Western public opinion was turning against it over its offensive against Gaza. (Reuters)

The outgoing President Shimon Peres accused Qatar of being the “world’s #1 sponsor of terror.” The Qatari Foreign Minister denied the charges, and insinuated that Israel was the “real terrorist” in the region. (The Times Of Israel)

UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon said that he was “appalled’ by the news of an attack on a UN- run school in Gaza where hundreds of people had taken refuge from the ongoing hostilities, adding that the incident underscores the need to halt fighting immediately. (UN News Centre) 

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Israeli security forces were on heightened alert after a Palestinian man was shot dead during a large protest in the West Bank against Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. (The Daily Star)

The IDF arrested 270 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip during the week of the ground invasion. A senior IDF officer said most of them were released and not found to be members of militant groups. (Haaretz)

A senior Israeli official said that US Secretary of State John Kerry drafted a new cease-fire proposal and presented it to both sides. Israel’s security cabinet is expected to meet to discuss proposal (Haaretz)

A rocket fired from the Gaza Strip was intercepted and neutralized over Ashkelon. (The Jerusalem Post)

Five Palestinians were killed in the West Bank in shootings involving both Israeli forces and a civilian who appeared to be a Jewish settler, medics and witnesses said. (The Forward)

The IDF killed a pregnant woman and a senior Islamic Jihad spokesperson, taking the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli military offensive to 808, emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said. (Gulf News)

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would push for Israel to be tried at an international criminal court if it kept up its assault on Gaza and he accused it of “spitting blood”. (The Daily Star)

In a press release, PLO Executive member Hanan Ashrawi commented on EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusions of 22 July saying, “We are dismayed by the schizophrenic approach of the EU Foreign Affairs Council conclusions on the Middle East Process.” She stated that the EU is portraying Israel’s military assault under the mantra of “Israel’s legitimate right to defend itself” and Israel as the victim reacting to “indiscriminate firing of rockets…directly harming civilians”, when we know that Israel instigated this assault and provoked a Palestinian response as part of a recurring pattern of Israeli violence against a captive population, stressed Ashrawi. (WAFA)

Palestinian Justice Minister Saleem Al-Saqqa and Ismail Jabr, the Gaza court public prosecutor, started legal proceedings via a Paris-based lawyer over the 18 days of fighting between Hamas fighters and Israeli ground forces that’s left 800 Palestinians dead — including hundreds of civilians. (AP)

UN Humanitarian Chief Valerie Amos described Israel’s deadly attack on a UN school in northern Gaza as “appalling” and warned that condition for civilians taking shelter at UN facilities were quickly deteriorating amid shortages of food and water. (The Guardian)

Speaking at a press conference in Cairo alongside US Secretary of State John Kerry, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Hassan Shokry Selim and League of Arab States Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “First, stop the fighting. We call for a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire, extending over the Eid period, beginning with an extendable 12-hour pause. Second, start talking. There is no military solution to addressing the grievances and all parties must find a way to dialogue. Third, tackle the root causes of the crisis. These peace efforts cannot be the same as it was the last two Gaza conflicts, where we reset the clock and waited for the next one. The ongoing fighting emphasizes the need to finally end the 47-year old occupation and the chokehold on Gaza, ensure security based on mutual recognition, and achieve a viable two-state solution by which Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, side by side.” (UN News Centre)

A Jewish mob attacked two young Palestinian men in Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem with batons, steel bars and chains. They sustained fractured bones and bruises and were hospitalized. (Ma’an News Agency)

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Israel and Hamas agreed to a 12-hour humanitarian ceasefire. (Ynetnews)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the broadly-observed 12-hour humanitarian pause and appealed once again to all parties to declare a seven-day humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. (www.un.org)

Palestinian rescue teams pulled 85 bodies from under the rubble of homes completely levelled by Israeli shelling across the Gaza Strip. Health Minister Jawad Awad said the Beit Hanoun hospital in the northern Gaza Strip had come under heavy Israeli bombardment and 60 paramedics and patients had been injured. (WAFA)

Two Palestinians, age 16 and 18, were killed overnight by live fire from Israeli soldiers during riots in the West Bank in protest against the Gaza operation. (Ynetnews)

Thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank took part in marches in solidarity with people in Gaza. Dozens of Palestinians were shot and injured with live and rubber-coated steel bullets during clashes with Israeli forces. (WAFA)

Hamas renewed fire at Israel after the ceasefire’s deadline, seriously injuring one Israeli. (Ynetnews)

Israeli forces shot dead a 36-year-old Palestinian in eastern Deir El-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, and also shelled an area east of Rafah, amid reports that the humanitarian ceasefire had been extended for four hours. (Ma’an News Agency)

27

Eight Palestinians were killed and several others were injured in Gaza after Israeli forces resumed attacks. (Ma’an News Agency)

The International Committee of the Red Cross firmly condemned the “extremely alarming series of attacks against humanitarian workers, ambulances, and hospitals”, adding that these were serious violations of the law of war and an immediate stop must be put to them. (www.icrc.org)

14 Palestinians were injured with live bullets during clashes with Israeli forces in Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem. Israeli forces shot a paramedic in the leg with live fire and injured two other volunteers for the Red Crescent. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces arrested 18 Palestinians across the West Bank and five from the Jerusalem area. (WAFA) 

Egypt’s army said it had destroyed 13 Gaza tunnels. (AFP)

Israel’s NRG reported that the Turkish pro-Palestinian organization IHH (Humanitarian Relief Foundation) announced that its second Gaza flotilla would be launched soon and would be afforded protection by the Turkish Navy. (Haaretz)

28

The Security Council, meeting in an emergency session just after midnight, called for an “immediate and unconditional” ceasefire, allowing for the delivery of urgently needed humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip. In a presidential statement, the 15-member body expressed strong support for the call by international partners and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for such a ceasefire, and urged all parties to accept and fully implement it into the Eid period marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and beyond. (UN News Centre)

Israeli forces shelled houses in the Al-Salam neighbourhood in eastern Jabaliya in the northern Gaza Strip, killing two Palestinians, a 22-year-old man and a four-year-old child. Also, Israeli forces bombed a park near the beach in Gaza City, killing at least 10 children. The Israeli army said, however, that the deaths were a result of “failed rocket attacks” by Palestinian militants. These attacks brought the Palestinian death toll to 1,055, with more than 6,200 injured. (Ma’an News Agency)

Three Palestinians were injured with live ammunition and several others suffocated during clashes that had erupted with Israeli forces in Yatta, south of Hebron. (WAFA)

Four Israeli soldiers were killed after mortar fire from Gaza hit a military site in Eshkol in southern Israel. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israeli forces arrested 10 Palestinians from the West Bank. (WAFA)

29

Israeli strikes hit targets in Gaza, including the home of Hamas’ Leader Ismail Haniyeh and the Strip’s main power station. (Ynetnews.com)

International organizations, including the Joint Coordinating Committee of the Non-Aligned Movement (JCC), along with the UN Group of 77 and China, the International NGO Network and the Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly of Union for the Mediterranean further echoed the urgency of the international community’s demand for an immediate cessation of hostilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel. ((International Middle East Media Center)

The Knesset passed a law stipulating that prisoners who had been released in diplomatic negotiations and return to terrorism could be re-incarcerated. The law could also have the Government make the final decision on prisoner releases and not have the President pardon terrorists. (The Jerusalem Post)

UNRWA’s spokesman Chris Gunness said it had found a cache of rockets at one of its schools in the Gaza Strip and deplored those who had put them there, and are responsible for placing civilians in harm’s way by storing the rockets at the school without blaming any particular party. (Reuters)

OCHA said that electricity availability across the Gaza Strip had dropped to 0 hours a day in many areas and to two hours a day in Gaza City, after Israeli forces shelled the besieged coastal enclave’s sole power plant. (Ma’an News Agency) 

30

Israel continued shelling the Gaza Strip for the 23rd day killing 40 Palestinians and injuring 120 others. In Khan Yunis, 11 Palestinians were killed, 10 in missile attacks and one in wounds sustained in earlier shelling. A girl was also killed in al-Bureij camp and a man was killed in Rafah. In Jaffa Street in Gaza, a wheelchair bound girl was killed. (International Middle East Media Center, WAFA)

Israeli shelling killed 19 refugees in a school in Gaza’s biggest refugee camp were 3,300 Palestinians, including many women and children, where taking shelter in the building in Jabalya refugee camp, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said. An Israeli military spokeswoman said Palestinian militants had fired mortar bombs from the vicinity of the Jabalia school and Israeli troops shot back in response. The incident was still being reviewed. (Reuters

Despite a four-hour humanitarian ceasefire that began at 3:00 p.m., Israeli forces shelled a number of places in Gaza killing 35 Palestinians. The shelling hit a market in Shujaiyya, killing 17 people while 18 others were killed in the shelling of a number of homes across the Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said it may begin drafting a UN Security Council resolution on “terms for ending the war in the Gaza Strip”. The initiative includes provisions to negotiate an end to Israel’s eight-year long siege of Gaza and a commitment from international parties to provide aid to the Palestinian people. (Haaretz)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was heading a delegation to Cairo that includes representatives from both Hamas and Islamic Jihad. A senior Palestinian official said that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi told Mr. Abbas to arrive in Cairo “with a unified Palestinian position.” The official said, Egypt was willing to consider the Palestinian amendments to its ceasefire proposal if Hamas and Islamic Jihad agree to it as well. The Palestinian leadership was now in discussions with the two Gaza factions. (Unetnews.com)

After visiting wounded Israeli soldiers in Beersheba, former Israeli President Shimon Peres called on the Israeli Government to seek a diplomatic solution to the Gaza crisis and to return Gaza to the Palestinian Authority. He said that the military option has played itself out. (The Global Jewish News Source)

The Israeli army said it would hold fire unilaterally in limited areas of the Gaza Strip where soldiers were not operating for four hours from 3 p.m. (1200 GMT) as a “temporary humanitarian window”. It was not clear whether that included Jabalya. Hamas Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri dismissed the partial, temporary ceasefire as a “media stunt”, saying it would not allow rescue workers to retrieve casualties in combat zones Israel had excluded. (Reuters)

UNRWA strongly condemned the Israeli shelling of its school in Gaza. Commissioner General Pierre Krahenbuhl said in a statement, “… there were multiple civilian deaths and injuries, including of women and children and the UNRWA guard, who was trying to protect the site,” adding, “I call on the international community to take deliberate international political action to put an immediate end to the continuing carnage.” (www.unrwa.org)

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters in St Jose in Costa Rica that he condemned the attack on the UNRWA school today. He repeated again his call on Israel and all parties to do vastly more to ensure the safety of these UN sites and the security of the women, children and families who have sought protection there. (Highlights of the Noon Briefing)

CNN reported that the United States military will be honoring a request from Israel for the supply of ammunition to further its operation in the Gaza Strip. (RT)

The IDF bombed the market of the Al-Sujaiyya neighborhood in Gaza City. Latest reports said there were at least 17 Palestinians killed, including a journalist and two paramedics. (PNN)

Two Palestinian journalists were killed in Gaza, taking the journalistic toll to eight since the beginning of the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip. (The Guardian)

It was reported that five Latin American countries including El Salvador, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador and Peru had withdrawn their ambassadors from Israel in protest at Israel’s military offensive in Gaza. (MEMO)

Bolivian President Evo Morales rescinded agreements allowing Israelis to visit without visa in protest of IDF actions during Operation Protective Edge. He said the Israeli aggression in Gaza “showed Israel is not guaranteeing fundamental human rights, which guide the peaceful and harmonious existence of our international community.” (Ynetnews)

The White House condemned the shelling of a UN school in Gaza that local authorities estimated killed at least 15 Palestinians who were sheltering there. (The Jerusalem Post)

The Swiss Foreign Ministry said it was in talks about holding an international conference sought by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas focusing on protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip. (Ma’an News Agency)

British Prime Minister David Cameron called for an “unconditional, immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza, warning that future prospects of a two-State solution were quickly dwindling. (Haaretz)

It was reported that Israeli security officials paid a brief visit to Egypt, unnamed security sources told Anadolu new agency. (MEMO)

Eighty per cent of the wireless telephone network in Gaza has been damaged by the current Israeli offensive, Ammar Aker CEO of the Palestine Telecommunications (Paltel) Group said. (Anadolu)

President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Gaza Strip has become a “humanitarian disaster area” and urged the UN and international aid agencies to assume responsibility for meeting the needs of the Palestinians in the Strip. (The Jerusalem Post) 

The EU said on in its press release that it will provides €13 million to East Jerusalem hospitals. (WAFA)

It was reported that almost two thirds of the British public (62%) believe that the Israeli Government is committing war crimes, a new YouGov poll revealed. (MEMO)

USG for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos issued a statement stating that she was “alarmed at the intensity of the violence in Gaza after a brief humanitarian ceasefire.” (ocha.org)

UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake issued a statement stating “Another school in Gaza has come under fire, killing more children in a conflict where such an outrage has become commonplace.” (unicef.org) 

The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson and John Ging, OCHA’s Operations Director, strongly condemned the UN school attacks by Israel and warned against the targeting of civilians. (un.org)

31

It was reported that Israel was calling up another 16,000 reservists, giving the military the ability to substantially widen its Gaza offensive. (The Times of Malta)

Ahed Zaqout, a former Palestinian national soccer team player, has been killed by an Israeli bomb that hit his apartment in Gaza, Palestinian medical officials said. (Haaretz) 

119 Palestinians have been killed on the 23^rd day of the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, medical sources said. The death toll climbed to 1,363. (Xinhua)

Ten rockets were fired at the southern city of Sderot. 7 of them were intercepted and two fell inside the city near a school and a public park. (Ynetnews)

It was reported that Israeli security officials paid a brief visit to Egypt, unnamed security sources told Anadolu new agency. (MEMO)

President Mahmoud Abbas expressed his appreciation for the Algerian support of affected Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the latest of which was a grant of US$25 million to help overcome the humanitarian disaster caused by the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. (WAFA)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a Cabinet meeting that he would not agree to any ceasefire that did not allow the IDF to destroy all of the infiltration tunnels in Gaza. (The Jerusalem Post)

Palestinian and Egyptian sources reported that a Palestinian delegation, comprised of both Hamas and Islamic Jihad representatives, arrived in Cairo to discuss a potential ceasefire agreement with Israel. (The Jerusalem Post)

Following a strongly-worded open letter in the Spanish press, condemning Israel’s military action against Gaza, Penélope Cruz has clarified her comments, saying she was merely trying to promote peace in the region. The letter, signed by Cruz along with her husband Javier Bardem, director Pedro Almodóvar, and a host of other Spanish film personalities, highlighted the “physical, moral, psychological” suffering of Palestinians as a result of shelling from Israel. It also called on the EU to condemn Israel’s actions. Also legendary producer and musician Brian Eno has penned an open letter addressing the current crisis in Gaza, which heavily criticises the US Government’s backing of Israel. (The Guardian)

As the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip continues more artists sign on to the Irish Artists’ Pledge to Boycott Israel. Originally launched by the Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign in 2010, the pledge has now been signed by more than 300 creative and performing artists, including Stephen Rea, Donal Lunny, Damien Dempsey, Andy Irvine, Sharon Shannon and many more. (PNN)

Nobel Women’s Initiative issued a statement calling for immediate ceasefire to stop the violence in the Gaza Strip. “Deliberate targeting of civilian areas by anyone is a violation of international law,” said the statement. (WAFA)

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay said she believed Israel was deliberately defying international law in its military offensive in Gaza and that world powers should hold it accountable for possible war crimes. She added that by placing and firing rockets within heavily populated areas both sides were committing “a violation of international humanitarian law, therefore a war crime”. She also criticised the United States for failing to use its influence with Israel. She was appalled at the US’ consistently voting against resolutions on Israel in the Human Rights Council, General Assembly and Security Council. “They have not only provided the heavy weaponry which is now being used by Israel in Gaza but they’ve also provided almost US$1 billion in providing the “Iron Domes” to protect the Israelis from rocket attacks,” she said. “But no such protection has been provided to Gazans against the shelling.” (AP, Reuters)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced a 72-hour ceasefire agreed to by Israel and Hamas in their conflict in the Gaza Strip and called it a “lull of opportunity” stressing that it was imperative that the sides made their best efforts to find common ground. (Reuters)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel was determined, regardless of ceasefire efforts, to complete the destruction of tunnels that Palestinian militants have built under the Gaza-Israel border. (Haaretz)

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Maragallo said on 31 July that the ongoing situation in Gaza has created a “humanitarian disaster without precedent in the 21st century.” Speaking in the Spanish Congress building, Garcia-Margallo said the latest information he had was that the Israeli strikes against the Gaza Strip has cost “1,370 Palestinian lives and caused 7,200 injuries to Palestinians.” (Xinhua)

A divided UN Security Council failed once again to take action on the Gaza crisis, repeating instead its call for humanitarian aid, protection of civilians and an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. (Xinhua)